After the End of Her World
by ad-siderum
Summary: AU, OC. Voldemort is victorious after the war and the enslavement of the remaining rebels becomes a common practice. Ex-Ravenclaw, Chloe Sanders, is taken to work as a maid for one of the most feared Death Eaters, Gideon Fortescue. In a world full of unforeseen struggles, Chloe must decide for herself who is her friend and who is her foe.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the world of Harry Potter and do not claim that it is of my own creation. So don't sue me; I'm innocent!

**A/N:** This fanfiction is based off of one of my roleplays. Let me know what you thought of this and enjoy! :3

**Chapter I**

Gideon Fortescue marched through the slave market, ticking his fingers against the bars of rows and rows of cages. "What a despicable place," he complained. Everywhere he looked was brown with dirt, even down to the clothes of the cages occupants.

"Master Fortescue," the market's seller addressed him, "would you require any assistance in your shopping?"

Gideon ran his hand through his long dark brown hair. "Don't you have anything different?" he demanded.

"I don't quite know what you mean, sir," the seller answered, flustered.

Gideon's dark eyes flared with anger at the man's incompetence. "Never mind," he snapped. "I'll look on my own." He continued down the line of cages and the seller trailed closely behind, still making feeble attempts to please him.

Chloe Sanders was huddled in a ball, trying to comfort herself as she waited inside her small cage, just like she had done every day since she had been caught by snatchers. It seemed like an eternity since she was forced to give up her freedom, but Chloe knew that it couldn't have been more than a few weeks ago. It was long enough for the clothes she wore to have holes and for her long blonde hair to appear dirty brown, but not long enough for her emerald green eyes to lose their shine. She kept the hope that some kind person would take pity on her and take her away from this place, but she couldn't help but to worry that this market would be a haven compared to where she might end up next.

The sound of voices floated over the cages and Chloe sat up to see the top of a head towering over the wall of cages in front of her. The buyer rounded the corner and Chloe shrank back in her cage as she recognized his face. Fortescue. Chloe knew all the stories. He had never used the Avada Kedavra curse but preferred to kill his victims much more slowly. Of all the Death Eaters, he was the most feared.

As soon as Gideon caught sight of Chloe's bright eyes, he bent down to look at the sign posted in front of her cage. "_Half-blood_," Gideon read, "_Good for anything, is obedient_."

"This one," he told the seller and Chloe tried to back up even further into her cage until her back was pressed against the bars on the other side.

"Fine choice sir, for you I will give you a special price of only 50 Galleons. She's usually 200," the seller said.

A smirk crossed Gideon's face. "Very well," he said curtly and handed over the money. He didn't think he could ever get tired of that superior feeling he got when he associated with others.

The man quickly counted his money before opening the cage. "Come out girl, your new master is waiting." Chloe slowly stood up, looking at the ground and shaking nervously. When she didn't come quickly enough, Gideon grabbed the upper part of Chloe's arm and forced her out of her cage. She winced as he grabbed her, but she did not struggle. Gideon dragged her along at her brisk pace out of the slave market and then disapperated the two of them back to his stone mansion.

It was almost dark when they apperated and the dusk lighting didn't make the large hallways any more welcoming. Gideon led her to a room in the basement with a cold cement floor and walls. A faint odor of mildew hung in the air and other than an old rusty sink and a sagging bed, there were no decorations.

"You sleep here," he said gruffly. "Don't even think of running away. The tracking spell placed on you will make you feel a compulsion to return to me that you cannot escape." With a swish of his cloak, Gideon left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Chloe stared blankly at the closed door before slowly walking over to her bed and sitting down on it. The old bed supports squeaked loudly in protest and the mattress only sunk down lower. Before long, she lied down and fell asleep shivering.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

The night was barely over when the door to Chloe's room flung open. She didn't sit up immediately when Gideon strode through, so he waved his wand, forcing her to stand. "From now on, I expect you to greet me every morning in my chambers with a hot breakfast. I get up early, so be on time," Gideon said.

Chloe winced at his harsh words but quickly nodded. "Yes sir," she replied meekly.

"Good," Gideon said. "I will show you to the kitchens. Eat a breakfast and I want to see you back in the main entrance in 20 minutes with a bucket of water and brush." With another wave of his wand, the spell that he had placed on Chloe was lifted. Gideon strode out of the room and Chloe quickly followed him, though she made sure to stay a foot or two behind.

Gideon passed through the main entry hallway of the mansion and threw open a pair of double doors which led into a tiled kitchen. Cabinets and a countertop lined one side of the kitchen's wall and a round wooden table, illuminated by an overhead light, stood near the center of the room. Gideon pointed to a closet next to the cabinets. "Cleaning supplies are in there. Food will be in the refrigerator and cabinets. There is no other staff on hand, so just take whatever you need."

Chloe bowed quickly. "Yes sir," she said.

"You need new clothes," Gideon muttered to himself as he turned around and exited the kitchen.

Once Chloe was alone, she started rummaging through the kitchen to find something quick to eat. She found a box of leftover rolls and ate one, supposing that it was simple enough for her to be allowed to eat. Once she was done, she put the remaining rolls back in the cabinet and opened the closet door. An assortment of brooms, buckets, dustpans, and other cleaning supplies had been placed haphazardly inside, many already collecting dust. Chloe picked out a brush and a bucket from the clutter and held it under the faucet as she filled it halfway full with warm water. Before she left the kitchen, she grabbed soap and a towel to help her with the cleaning that she imagined her master would order her to do.

Chloe stepped quickly through the hallways. Her bucket was heavy and her arms were full, but she took extra precaution to not spill anything, fearing any punishment she would receive if she did. As Chloe emerged into the entrance hallway, Gideon stood waiting for her.

"I expect the entire floor to be sparking clean by the end of the day," he said. "Get to work." Without any other delay, Gideon left Chloe by herself in the midst of the massive room. She set down her bucket and surveyed the mess. The floor was slightly muddy and various leaves, twigs and pine needles were scattered everywhere. Chloe groaned inwardly at the mess, but took in a deep breath and started immediately. She knelt down where she stood, dipped her brush in the water, and after a few seconds of scrubbing, the brilliant white flooring was revealed.

A few hours into after giving Chloe her assignment, Gideon entered the hallway again holding the Daily Prophet under his arm. There had been a few chairs and couches in the hallway when Chloe had begun to clean the floor, but they were now pressed against the wall. Gideon chose the couch directly behind Chloe's spot on the floor and sat down on it. He crossed one leg over the other and noisily opened his newspaper.

Chloe had seen Gideon enter the hallway out of the corner of her eye and take a seat behind her. She couldn't help but to imagine that he was scrutinizing every detail of her work, waiting for the perfect moment to punish her. Double checking her work, Chloe worked even more diligently than before but she was slowing down as the time passed due to lack of energy.

The loud wrinkling of the newspaper as Gideon flipped through the pages kept reminding Chloe of his presence behind her. He continued to flip until he had read through the last page. He folded the newspaper and threw it on the ground where it landed with a sharp thwack. Chloe winced at the harsh sound and paused in her scrubbing.

"Make me a sandwich," Gideon ordered. The sound of his voice seemed out of place to Chloe after being in the silent hallway for most of the day.

The brush that Chloe was using to scrub was put down on the floor and she quickly got up. "Yes sir," she said in his direction, careful to avoid his gaze. "What sort of sandwich would you like sir?"

Gideon leaned back on the sofa and rested his arms on the top of its back. "Surprise me," he replied.

Chloe nodded and as she ran back to the kitchen her brow began to furrow together. She fretted about her new assignment. She hadn't been in her master's service long enough to know which foods he found appealing and those he detested. She searched through the food he kept in the kitchen and ended up using an assortment of meats.

With a slight bow, Chloe held the tray out for Gideon. He picked the sandwich up and lifted up the bread to inspect its contents. The top of the sandwich was put back on and Gideon began to peel the bread's crusts off around the entire sandwich.

"I hate crusts," Gideon said and tossed them at Chloe. "They're yours." Chloe flinched at his harsh words, but obediently picked them off of the floor from the place where they had fallen. She stood up and marched off towards the kitchen, intending to throw them away in the trash, but was stopped in her tracks as Gideon purposefully cleared his throat.

"Are you so ungrateful that you're not going to eat the food I give you? Get back here. You have a job to do," Gideon snapped, his eyes flashing with anger.

Chloe looked down towards her feet. She could already feel her face becoming red with embarrassment. "No sir, I am grateful," she said.

"Then eat quickly," Gideon said shortly and rose from the couch to leave the room.

The crusts didn't look appetizing, but she didn't have a choice and ate them without complaint before quietly returning to scrub the floors. On occasion a tear would trickle down her cheek to her chin. If the tear fell on the floor, Chloe made sure to clean it up; the floor had to be spotless.

The sun had set for over an hour when Gideon entered the room again. "Finished yet?" he demanded.

Chloe stood up. "Yes sir, I just finished. Would you like me to make you dinner, sir?" she asked nervously.

"I already ate," Gideon said as he looked the hallway over. It shone brighter than it had in a long time but Gideon still refused to show any signs of approval. "Come with me," he said. Chloe nodded and then fell into step behind him.

Gideon led her up the stairs to the second floor and turned into a room decorated with brown and mahogany. A four-poster bed was kept in one side of the room and a small sitting area with couches and a small table had been placed in front of a fireplace. Gideon motioned a bag of logs which had been tucked in a small corner next to the fire.

"Add more wood," he said. Chloe dragged the bag as close as she could get to the fire. She didn't want to create a mess on the floor from the logs, knowing that Gideon would only make her clean it up. The fire finally roaring again, Chloe turned to see Gideon rummaging through one of the room's closets. He pulled out a black and white maid's dress and thrust it out at her.

"This will be your uniform from now on. I don't ever want to see those rags you wear again," Gideon said.

Chloe caught the dress and laid it in her arms. She was glad for its short hem and lack of long sleeves. Even though it was only spring, the summer had the potential to get very hot.

"Yes sir. Thank you, sir. Will there be anything more this evening sir?" Chloe asked.

"No, you are dismissed for the night. Take some food if you are hungry." Gideon took off his cloak and sat down at the edge of his bed, taking off his boots. Before Chloe had completely left the room, he called back to her. "Wait, one more thing, what is your name?"

Chloe stopped in her tracks. "Whatever you choose to name me, sir," she said quietly.

Gideon shook his head. "No, your name; the name you were born with. What is it?"

"Chloe…" she said meekly, looking down.

"That will do."

Chloe hurried away from Gideon and his room, heading to her own. She ripped off her old, torn clothes and put on her new uniform. Holding up the rags, she was shocked to see how despicable they looked. Only weeks ago they had been a clean pair of t-shirt and shorts. Now, they seemed like entirely different garments. Balled up in her fist, Chloe made her way to the kitchen to throw them out and eat her dinner. She opened one of the kitchen cabinets and finished off the leftover rolls she had begun to eat that morning. She hurried back to bed so she could awaken early that next morning.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

The morning came and Chloe awoke, hardly feeling refreshed at all. There were no windows in her tiny room, so she quickly washed out her mouth and ran up the stairs. To her relief, it was no later than dawn and she let out a sigh of relief. Gideon had told her to be ready early and she was too terrified to find out what would happen if she didn't make it on time. In the kitchen, she heated up a griddle and cracked a few eggs over it, then used it to toast bread the eggs were done. Chloe had looked for a toaster, but didn't find one. With her muggle mother doing much of the cooking as she grew up, she was used to such muggle conveniences. Being in Gideon's pureblood household, she wasn't surprised that he would be too proud to own such appliances.

With the steaming breakfast placed on a tray, Chloe ascended the stairs and knocked lightly on the door. "Sir, your breakfast is ready," she called.

"Hnnuhh?" Gideon groaned sleepily.

"Am I too early, sir?" Chloe fretted. "I can come back later."

"I'm up now, so you might as well come in now," Gideon said.

Chloe opened the door and stepped in. "Where would you like me to set it, sir?" she said quietly.

"The table in front of the couch," Gideon said as he got out of bed. Chloe walked over, setting the plate and silverware on the table. She stepped back and Gideon began cutting his eggs.

After watching Gideon eat for a while, Chloe started shifting from foot to foot, feeling like she should be doing something more useful than just waiting. "What would you like me to do today sir?" she asked, hoping to be ordered to do something to keep her occupied.

"I don't know," Gideon snapped. "I just got up. You can't expect me to have planned your day out already."

Chloe's head hung lower and she tried to nod her head, but the movement came out jerky from her shaking. It took Gideon a while to eat his breakfast and he didn't eat any quicker knowing that Chloe was waiting for him. He wiped his mouth and let his utensils clatter onto his plate.

"Walk with me," Gideon ordered having finished his breakfast. He got up and left his room with Chloe following at a respective distance behind him.

Outside Gideon's mansion, he pointed out the vast gardens to her. "There is weeding and daily watering to be done," he said.

The flowers' beauty must have once been breathtaking, but the gardens looked like they had been neglected for quite some time. The dirt had dried and cracked and thorns grew between the plants, overshadowing them. Inside the mansion, the windows needed to be cleaned and each room needed to be dusted.

"Get as far as you can today," Gideon said.

Chloe nodded as he spoke. "Yes sir," she said once he had finished and she bowed slightly. "I shall get to work then, sir."

"Eat a breakfast first," Gideon added before leaving Chloe by herself.

A few hours later, the crystal clear notes of Chloe's soft singing could be heard throughout the mansion, traveling up the stairs and through each hallway. As Chloe wiped the grime off the windows, she sung the same lullaby her mother had sung to her before bed when she was a young child. Its tune was simple, but captivating.

Walking around inside the mansion, Gideon passed by the windows Chloe was watching. His footsteps alerted her of his presence and she paused in her singing.

"Don't stop; it's lovely," Gideon said.

Chloe gulped and hesitantly started singing again but the song wasn't as nearly as pretty as it had been before since she knew Gideon was listening.

"My colleagues are coming over this evening," Gideon interrupted. "When you are done with those windows, prepare food for them. Cucumber sandwiches and fruit will do fine."

Chloe nodded quickly. "Yes sir," she said and continued to clean, too nervous to sing anymore.

"Clean yourself up too. Wash your hair. It looks especially dreadful. You need to look more presentable for when the Dark Lord joins us," he added and left the room.

Chloe's heart nearly stopped. "Yes sir." She bowed and quickly finished her work. When she was done, she went to her room and turned on the faucet in her sink. The sink had both cold and hot water handles but no matter which ways she turned them, the water remained freezing cold. As quick as she could, Chloe dunked her hair under the running faucet and scrubbed at her hair. Once she was satisfied that she had gotten most of the grease and dirt out from it, Chloe tossed her hair back over her shoulders and headed to the kitchen to prepare the food for her master's guests. She couldn't have been more relieved to escape the freezing water.

The evening approached rapidly and Gideon ordered Chloe to open the front door and to take cloaks when necessary. Chloe stood by the door and when she saw approaching guests, she opened it wide for them with a "Good evening, sir" or a "Good evening, ma'am". She would then close it behind them and ask if she could please take their cloaks from them. Even though Chloe made sure she kept her eyes down when the guests entered, she still wasn't able to shelter herself from their sneering and apparent disgust.

"Why doesn't Gideon greet us himself instead of leaving us at the hands of his worthless slave?" one Death Eater complained to her companion. With each of these degrading comments, Chloe felt herself trying to sink lower and lower into the floor. She was thankful they left her alone besides those short comments. Each one of these faces Chloe had seen on 'Most Wanted' posters during the war and she had even fought against a few. It was well known that each and every one of these people here tonight was dangerous.

Just like every other Death Eater before, Chloe recognized Amycus Carrow as he stepped through the door.

"Good evening sir," Chloe said and then shut the door behind him. "Would you permit me to take your cloak for you, sir?"

Instead of getting a haughty yes-or-no reply, Amycus turned towards Chloe and whipped out his wand. He used it to tilt her chin up, forcing her to look at him. Chloe allowed for her chin to be lifted, but she still refused to look him in the eyes. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked off to the side.

"What pretty eyes," he murmured. "And a pretty face." A few fingers reached out to stroke her cheek and Chloe's breath came out in short, ragged bursts. "It's a wonder Gideon hasn't messed it up yet. Did he tell you what happened to his previous slave?"

"Leave her alone, Carrow!" Gideon ordered, having seen Carrow from his spot further back in the entrance hallway.

The wicked grin quickly vanished from Carrow's face. "My apologies," he said monotonously.

Chloe took a step back from him but continued to slip the cloak off of Carrow's shoulders and to hang it in the main hallway's closet with all the others. Even though she was shaken, Chloe continued with her job until the last of the guests entered the mansion.

Voldemort was seated at one head of the large dining room table with Gideon at the other. Nagini slithered on the floor, winding her way through the guests' feet and Chloe took extra care to not step on the highly esteemed snake. She made her way in between each seat, serving and refilling plates and cups.

The conversation in the room was not very lively. Not more than one person spoke at a time, entirely respectful in the Dark Lord's presence.

"What have you brought us together for, My Lord?" Gideon asked. While serving, Chloe silently eavesdropped into the conversation. She knew that she shouldn't be paying attention but she couldn't help her curiosity.

Voldemort paused and then started slowly. "Harry Potter. The Boy Who Did Not Live." He let out a grating laugh and the rest of the Death Eaters smirked at each other. "While on his futile quest to kill me for good, he managed to destroy quite a few of my horcruxes. It is crucial that I make more." Voldemort waited as the rest of his company nodded in agreement. "Find for me: the resurrection stone for I can conquer the effects of death, the broken remains of Potter's wand for no one can resist me, the sword of Gryffindor for I am not afraid of that which can cause me harm, and the body of a traitor for I will consume those that resist." He paused to let Nagini slither onto his shoulders and around his head. "Only I can live forever."

"Gideon," Voldemort addressed, staring him down from across the table.

"Yes, My Lord?" he replied.

"I put you in charge of bringing me what I require," Voldemort said.

"Understood, My Lord," Gideon responded.

Voldemort raised his head, this time looking at the side of the table. "Lucius Malfoy," he said. "Do you have any news to share with us?"

"My Lord," Lucius said, dipping his head, "there have been rumors of an underground rebel movement gaining strength. It looks as if the remaining blood-traitors, those Weasleys, have been leading it."

A thin smile crept across Voldemort's face. "Lucius, you know what to do. We strike tonight. Leave no survivors. We'll show them that the watchful eye of the most powerful wizard never sleeps."

Chloe couldn't help but to shudder at Voldemort's merciless words. Last she had heard, some of her closest friends had been staying with the Weasleys. She couldn't bear to lose them.

"My Lord," Lucius added timidly. "The blood-traitors will, no doubt, have protections around their base. I don't see how we can get past them."

"My, dear, Lucius," Voldemort said slowly, pronouncing each word separately. He picked up his wand – the elder wand – and cast a wordless charm on a piece of parchment that lay near him on the table. "Take this behind the defense lines and their protections will be lifted."

"But… how could I possibly do that?" Lucius stuttered.

Gideon rose from his seat. "My Lord, I'll take care of that."

Voldemort chuckled. "Always such a good boy."

Gideon snapped his fingers at Chloe, motioning for her to follow him. She bowed slightly and then fell into step behind him, leaving the room. When they the doors closed behind them, Gideon leaned down so that he was eye level with her and gave her the charmed parchment.

"Are you on a friendly basis with the Weasleys?" Gideon asked.

"Yes sir."

"Take my broom from the shed outside and fly to their house. Once you are inside, find a place to leave the parchment and hurry back here." Gideon raised his wand and transfigured Chloe's dress into regular clothes and more appropriate travel wear.

At a run, Chloe fled the house and threw open the door of the outside shed. Quickly finding Gideon's broom she straddled it and flew off into the night. The rush of wind against Chloe's skin thrilled her and she reminisced her days at Hogwarts where she played as a chaser for the Ravenclaw quidditch team. She would have loved to keep flying forever, but the Burrow was approaching quickly and she could already feel the pull of the tracking spell that was placed against her. If she was ever to run away, that spell would make her feel more and more like she wanted to go back to her master until it became almost unbearable. The longest anyone had been heard of resisting it was no more than a few hours. Gideon had given her permission to leave, so the effects of the spell were weakened, but he had ordered her to go quickly and Chloe could feel the reminder to do her duty hanging over her head.

She approached where she thought that the misshapen house had been, but she could only spot a wide open field. She landed and got off of her ground, puzzling at the sudden disappearance of the house. It had always been there and though it was rickety, it stood through the raids of the war. There was no way it could have disappeared now. Chloe's mind wandered back to her days hiding during the war. She had used protective spells on her own camps which disguised her tent. She figured that the same charms had been used on the Burrow.

"Hello?" she called, hoping someone would hear her. "Hello?"

George Weasley came running out from seemingly nowhere. "Chloe!" he shouted, hugging her. "I'm so glad you're safe. What happened to you? Mel told me that you said left the camp, but then you didn't return. We searched everywhere for you, but you had just disappeared."

Chloe was pressed for time and she was reluctant to tell him about being caught by snatchers. Certainly, she wasn't going to tell them about her master.

Hugging George back, she cut him off. "I'm fine. Look, I can't stay for long. I just wanted to see how everyone was doing."

"Well, come in! We just made some tea. You can stay for a cup, right?" He asked. Chloe was grateful that he was just too happy to see her to realize how suspicious her explanation was. Once she was past the protective borders and was able to see house, she stowed the parchment behind a plant in the garden.

George flung the door open. "Melanie! You wouldn't guess who's here!"

The sound of a door slamming spilled throughout the house was heard and Melanie's brunette head poked over the stairway railing. "Chloe?" she screeched. Her thundering footsteps shook the entire house and threatened to tear it down. Chloe was attacked by her best friend's crushing hug. "I am going to kill you! We had all though you were dead," Melanie shouted, but her voice showed too much relief for Chloe to take her threat seriously.

A sob caught in Chloe's throat. She couldn't help but to think of the end that her friends would soon meet; and all because of her. Shielding her face from her friends, she turned and ran out of the house.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this," Chloe apologized.

"No, Chloe, come back! You can't leave just yet," Melanie shouted.

"I have to…" Chloe could feel the binding spell gaining an almost unbearable intensity. "I'm so sorry…" She climbed onto her broom, ignoring her friends' shouting behind her as she flew back towards the manor. A few tears trickled down her cheek and were wiped away by the wind as she cried softly.

Hearing the swish of Chloe's broom, Gideon ran outside. "Is it delivered?" he asked urgently.

Chloe nodded. "Yes sir."

Gideon grinned wickedly. "Good girl. Wash the dishes and you can be done early for the night." He ran back into the mansion. "My Lord," he announced. "The boundaries are down."

"We strike now," the Dark Lord responded.

Before Chloe made it back into the dining room to clean up the dishes from dinner, every single Death Eater had disapperated to the Burrow. She carried armfuls of dirty dishes into the kitchen and started on scrubbing each one clean. Attempting not to cry, Chloe bit the inside of her cheek, but tears still stung her eyes until she sank to the floor. Curled up against the cabinets, Chloe rested her chin on her knees and mourned for her friends. With her eyes red and puffy, Chloe was not a pretty sight. Every few minutes, she would scream and pull at her hair. No sadness that Chloe had felt before could prepare her for this. She was all alone in this world now. Every person who had shown her compassion was gone as of that night. Her grief was unbearable.

Slowly, Chloe's tears subsided and she dragged herself up off of the floor to finish cleaning the dishes. She worked quickly so that she could be done by the time that Gideon returned, knowing that her master wouldn't want her around in this state. Not that Chloe even thought that she could face him after what he had done to her friends.

Gideon arrived back home earlier than Chloe had expected. She was putting away the last plate into the cabinet when he staggered into the kitchen, tired and battle-worn.

She bowed slightly seeing him. "Good evening sir. Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked quietly, having hardened her heart in the past hour and didn't allow herself to cry.

Gideon reached for a bottle of firewhiskey and not caring about dignity, ripped off the lid and chugged the entire bottle. "I'm fine, just go to bed." Gideon reached for the next bottle of whiskey and chugged that one down too. Worried, Chloe contemplated whether she should be leaving Gideon by himself in this state. She hesitated, but then after receiving a glare from Gideon, she hurried away and decided that disobeying her master would turn out to be an ill decision.

Further into the night, Gideon was still seated at the round kitchen table after having drunken a few more bottles of firewhiskey. Barely able to keep his head up, he took another swig before finally passing out. His head hit the table with a dull thunk. The beer bottle in his hand tipped over and spilled its contents across the table and into Gideon's hair and lap. A few seconds later, the bottle was released from Gideon's grasp where it rolled off the table and fell to the floor, shattering.


	4. Chapter 4

**Warnings: **Mentions of suicide in this chapter

**Chapter IV**

In routine, Chloe awoke the next morning at the crack of dawn. Still half asleep, she mumbled a "Good morning, sir" at Gideon's sleeping form which was still sprawled out across the table. When Chloe didn't receive an answer, she turned around and tipped her head to the side at him.

"Master?" she called, but Gideon did not stir. One step at a time, Chloe crept forward slowly. As she neared him, she looked for any signs of life but Gideon did not stir and his chest didn't visibly expand as he breathed; if he breathed. Chloe reached a trembling hand out towards his shoulder and gently shook it.

"Master, Sir?" Her voice quavered.

Gideon's eyes flew open at Chloe's touch. The abruptness of his motion startled her and she stumbled backwards, falling onto the floor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Gideon shouted. At his fury, Chloe backed up further until her back was pressed against the kitchen cabinets.

"I-I'm so sorry, master," Chloe stuttered. "I was just making sure that you were alright, sir."

Gideon picked up his head and surveyed the kitchen. It was a mess; broken glass littered the floor which was sticky with dried fire whiskey.

"Clean this mess up," he ordered.

Scrambling to her feet, Chloe went to grab a rag. "Of course sir," she said. As she began removing the broken glass from the floor, Gideon stood up from his seat. He tottered and lurched forward, grasping the counter to regain his balance.

A light touch brushed against Gideon's arm.

"Please, sir, let me help you lie down," Chloe suggested. Gideon tried to swallow hard but was overwhelmed by shuddering. Chloe steadied Gideon by his elbow as he doubled over and hurled onto the floor.

"I'm fine. I don't need your help walking," Gideon growled, wiping off his mouth with his sleeve. Shaking free of Chloe's grasp, he staggered out of the room. "Clean up the mess," he repeated.

A few minutes later, Chloe attended to the mess. With one hand, she held a rag in place over her nose and mouth while using the other hand to scrub. Despite her attempt to keep the stench at bay, Chloe could not keep her stomach from turning over as well. She was thankful when she moved on to the broken glass and whiskey.

When Chloe had finished and the kitchen was as clean as it had always been, she began to make Gideon breakfast. While rummaging through the cabinets, she spotted a cabinet full of tonics. She took out the one labeled 'headache tonic' and added it to her tray. Headaches were the most common symptom after drinking too much and were probably the reason why Gideon was more irritated than usual.

Carrying the tray out of the kitchen, Chloe walked up to the closed door of his room.

"Good," Chloe though, relieved. She didn't want to find her master passed out on the stairs.

She knocked lightly on the door. "Sir?"

"Not now," he snapped and then groaned. "Don't ever let me get this drunk again."

Chloe signed and then walked in and set down the tray.

"What part of 'not now' do you not understand, you insolent little bitch!" Gideon roared.

"I brought you some headache tonic to make you feel better. My apologies. If you'll excuse me master…" Chloe said quietly. She bowed and left the room.

Gideon clutched the pillow he was about to throw at Chloe and squeezed it until it was flat. With all the force he could muster, he flung it to the end of his bed. His headache pounded against his temples, giving him no choice but to get out of bed and take the tonic. As he stood up, the room seemed to swim before him. Gideon lurched forward to grab the bottle, but his hand missed and instead smacked the table. On his second try, he grabbed the bottle successively, but he sensed the lighting in the room growing darker though he knew that the sun outside still shone brightly. He collapsed onto the bed and took a swig of the tonic. Then he rolled over and promptly fell asleep.

Out in the gardens, Chloe worked silently with her trowel. She did not sing or smile in the least. She did not cover worms that she found back up with dirt like she used to. She did not stop for even a quick meal. Her friends couldn't eat anymore, so why should she.

Chloe turned the trowel over in her hands and brushed off the dirt. The sunlight gleamed onto its sharp metal corners. She had used it to chop through roots in that garden that were almost an inch thick. If she could penetrate that, she could easily cut through anything, even her own chest. Her tears started to flow freely and her hands shook as she placed the point to her heart. She drew it back and took one last shuddering breath. No one cared for her anymore. Her friends were dead. Her family was dead. And she was left to serve the man who had taken them all away from her. The only company Chloe had was that of a murderer.

With the force of all her hatred, Chloe brought the tool in towards her and braced for impact, but it never came. She opened one eye, wondering if she was already dead. The trowel had come within an inch of her chest but was stopped in midair. She pressed even harder, but the point did not get any closer to her. _A shield charm must have been placed around me,_ Chloe deduced. She sank the little shovel into the garden's dirt. It just wasn't fair. She couldn't bring herself to live any longer, but even a quick suicide was a luxury that she was denied.

Back inside the mansion, Gideon was growing restless. His headache was gone, thanks to the tonic, but every time that he tried to stand up, he would begin to black out and would feel too light-headed and dizzy.

"Chloe," he yelled, but received no answer. "Chloe!" Gideon fumbled for his wand on his bedside table. "Sonorus," he whispered and touched his wand to the side of his neck.

"Chloe!" His voice sounded through the manor, rattling windows and out into the garden where Chloe was staring into space with tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She was jerked out of her miserable thoughts and quickly stood up. Gideon's voice had sounded urgent, so she raced through the mansion and up the stairs to his bedroom. As she ran, she wiped away her tears. She needed to be presentable for her master.

Out of breath and slightly red in the face, Chloe burst into the room.

"Yes, Master?" she asked, bowing.

"I'm bored," Gideon stated. "Entertain me."

Chloe looked down at her hands. "How, Sir?"

"I don't know," he said while waving his hand as if he was giving a gentle back-handed slap.

Out of the corner of Chloe's eye, she saw a book lying on an end table next to one of the room's comfy chairs. She walked over to it and picked it up.

"Perhaps you would like me to read to you, sir?" Chloe spun the book around so that Gideon could get a good look at the title. The book was The Tales of Beedle the Bard and even though she was shocked to find a nursery book in the room of a grown Death Eater, she did not question it.

Gideon nodded. "Pull up a chair." Chloe did so and sat next to his side of the bed. At first, Chloe's voice was fragile from all of the crying that she had done earlier and she stumbled over her words. As the minutes passed, her voice got steadier, but was still completely devoid of emotion.

"**'There once was a kindly old wizard who used his magic generously and wisely for the benefit of his neighbors. Rather than reveal the true source of his power, he pretended that his potions, charms, and antidotes sprang ready-made from the little cauldron he called his lucky cooking pot'**…"*

Chloe was only halfway through the first tale when Gideon covered his mouth with his hands and staggered to the bathroom where he was sick yet again. With his entire body shaking out of exertion, he collapsed to the floor and rested his head against the toilet bowl.

Chloe hung back, uncertain of what she should do.

"Are you alright, sir?" she asked while craning her head to check on him.

"I'm fine," he moaned. "You can go get some extra rest. You're dismissed until further notification."

Chloe stood up from her chair and set the book down on it. "Rest well sir," she said and then went down into her room in the basement to rest. As she lied on her back, staring up at the plain ceiling, she could feel her stomach complaining as the lack of food that day caused a sharp pain.

*excerpt quoted from J.K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard


End file.
